1 VERILY, thus saith the Lord concerning the wars [ This prophecy is not about the civil war. It is about the wars that will eventually be the death and misery of many souls. ] that will shortly come [ Reference to the second coming of Christ. ] to pass, beginning at the rebellion of south Carolina, [ This part of the sentence does not even need to be in here for the sentence to make sense. But it id there only to provide a reference to when the timeline wil begin. ] which will eventually terminate in the death and misery of many souls; [ And will continue forward until the end of all nations(including America which has a choice in how it will end - either in death, or by rebirth through repentance) - verse 6. ]

2 And the time will come that war will be poured out upon all nations, beginning at this place. [ South Carolina, the civil war was different from any other war to this point in that it was the first war fought with industrial machine warfare. Which allowed for the killing of many people at once, before that it was all hand to hand. ]

3 For behold, the southern States shall be divided against the Northern States, and the southern States will call on other nations, even the nation of Great Britain, as it is called, and they shall also call upon other nations, in order to defend themselves against other nations; and then war shall be poured out upon all nations.

4 And it shall come to pass, after many days, slaves shall rise up against their masters, who shall be marshaled and disciplined for war. [ The most common reading on v. 4 is to assume it is referring to African slavery in the Americas, and the 20th century civil rights movement. The typical reading on v. 5 is that it is referring to remnants of Israel among the Gentile nations (cf. Isa. 10:20-23), who will rise up, cf. Isa. 11:11-16, Micah 4:13. But if one looks at these two verses together as a couplet the reading may appear to be talking about the same thing. Therefore, the “slaves” and “remnants who are left” would be in parallel and the “masters” and “Gentiles” would be in parallel. So the passage becomes eschatological, and not referring to relatively recent historical events. The eschatological reading is encouraged by the “after many days” in v. 4. The context of slaves = remnants of Israel and masters = Gentiles is supported by the conquest imagery of 1 Ne. 13:34, 2 Ne. 26:19, as well as Isa. 10. ]

5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, [ So now you also have smaller groups of people at war in the country, a civil war going on at the same time. ] and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex [ When used in the context of physical conflict between nations the term means “attack”, “assail” or “harass” (cf. Num. 25:17-18, Num. 33:55, Acts 12:1). See also D&C 97:23, D&C 101:89. ] the Gentiles with a sore vexation. [ In Deut 28:20 the KJV has “cursing, vexation, and rebuke”, the JPS renders that passage as “calamity, panic, and frustration”. ]

6 And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, [ A variety of means of destruction are deemed necessary to chasten the people of the earth, to make an end of all nations (cp. D&C 84:96-98), and to satisfy the demands for justice for the innocent blood of the saints (cp. Isa. 26:21, Rev. 6:10, D&C 136:34-36). This is why the events of v. 1-5 must be accomplished, because of the wickedness of man. ] until the consumption decreed [ Isa. 10:22, see also Isa. 1:28, 87.2Isa. 28:22. The Lord intents to purge the wicked and preserve a righteous remnant of Israel (cf. Isa. 10:20-23). ] hath made a full end of all nations;

7 That the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, [ i.e., hosts, as in the hosts, or armies, of heaven. Smith transliterated a Hebrew term. “‘Sabaoth’ is a Hebrew word meaning ‘hosts.’ It sometimes refers to the armies of Israel and other nations; sometimes to the priests officiating in the Sanctuary; sometimes to the people of God generally, and sometimes to the stars and planets in the sky. ‘Lord of Hosts’ is equivalent to the ‘all-sovereign,’ or ‘omnipotent’ Lord. When we pray, we should remember that He, to whom we speak, has all power in heaven and on Earth—the Lord of Hosts. The Lord has given His interpretation to this word to be: ‘The Creator of the first day, the beginning and the end.’” (Smith and Sjodahl, Commentary, p. 540.)] from the earth, to be avenged of their enemies.

8 Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, [ President Harold B. Lee promised that “the true servants of God, those who are doing their duty, will be protected and preserved if they will do as the Lord has counseled: ‘stand ye in holy places’” (Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 87). President Lee also wrote: “The Lord has told us where these ‘holy places’ are: “‘And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.’ (D&C 45:68.) “Where is Zion? “During the various periods of time or dispensations, and for specific reasons, the Lord’s prophets, His ‘mouthpieces,’ as it were, have designated gathering places where the Saints were to gather. After designating certain such places in our dispensation, the Lord then declared: “‘Until the day cometh when there is found no more room for them; and then I have other places which I will appoint unto them, and they shall be called stakes, for the curtains or the strength of Zion.’ (D&C 101:21.) … “There are several meanings of the word Zion. “It may have reference to the hill named Mount Zion, or, by extension, the land of Jerusalem. … “Zion was so called by Enoch in referring to the ‘City of Holiness’ (Moses 7:19) or the ‘City of Enoch’. The land of Zion has been used to refer, in some connotations, to the Western Hemisphere. “But there is another most significant use of the term by which the Church of God is called Zion: It comprises, according to the Lord’s own definition, ‘the pure in heart.’ (D&C 97:21.) “As one studies the Lord’s commandments and the attending promises for compliance therewith, one gets some definite ideas as to how we might ‘stand in holy places,’ as the Lord commands—how we will be preserved with protection in accordance with His holy purposes, in order that we might be numbered among the ‘pure in heart’ who constitute Zion.” (Stand Ye in Holy Places, pp. 22–23.) In light of these teachings, “holy places” may have more to do with how one lives than where one lives. If we live worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, then we stand in a holy place. The home is the most important institution for teaching the children of God the principles of Zion. President Lee counseled: “Teach your families in your family home evening; teach them to keep the commandments of God, for therein is our only safety in these days. If they will do that, the powers of the Almighty will descend upon them as the dews from heaven, and the Holy Ghost will be theirs. That can be our guide, and that Spirit shall guide us and direct us to His holy home.” (Lee, Stand Ye in Holy Places, p. 190; see also Joseph L. Wirthlin, in Conference Report, Oct. 1958, pp. 33–34.) A holy place is any place where a person enjoys the Spirit of God. The Lord commands that each member stand firmly in holy places and not be moved (falter or fall away into forbidden paths) until the Lord comes to claim His own. We should each obey this command so that we can “abide the day” (D&C 45:57). ] , and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come; for behold, it cometh quickly, saith the Lord. Amen. [ You have been warned, so it is best to stand in holy places (cp. comments on D&C 27:15) until the Day of the Lord arrives. In the historical context, the probable implicit message is the saints need to heed the Lord’s commands to establish Zion, for their own protection from the impending calamities (cf. D&C 45:68, D&C 88:79-81, D&C 133:1-12). ]

 

[Historical Material Pertaining to Doctrine & Covenants 87 Most historical comments on this revelation, even those of various contemporaneous General Authorities (e.g., Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, volume 13, page 135; Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, volume 18, pages 224-25; Joseph Fielding Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, volume 1, pages 358-59; James E. Talmage, Articles of Faith, pages 25-27), focus on the prediction of the civil war as being evidence of Smith’s prophetic calling. But, that is not the purpose of this section, any more than D&C 89 is given as proof of Smith’s calling. The purpose is to warn the Saints to be prepared, giving them insight into what they need to be prepared for, so they will establish Zion. Excerpt from History of the Church Appearances of troubles among the nations became more visible this season than they had previously been since the Church began her journey out of the wilderness. The ravages of the cholera were frightful in almost all the large cities on the globe. The plague broke out in India, while the United States, amid all her pomp and greatness, was threatened with immediate dissolution. The people of south Carolina, in convention assembled (in November), passed ordinances, declaring their state a free and independent nation; and appointed Thursday, the 31st day of January, 1833, as a day of humiliation and prayer, to implore Almighty God to vouchsafe His blessings, and restore liberty and happiness within their borders. President Jackson issued his proclamation against this rebellion, called out a force sufficient to quell it, and implored the blessings of God to assist the nation to extricate itself from the horrors of the approaching and solemn crisis. On Christmas day [1832], I received the following revelation and prophecy on war. [text of D&C 87 quoted] (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, volume 1, page 301) Excerpt from The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith Section 87, commonly known as “the prophecy on war,” was received on Christmas Day 1832, some twenty-eight years before the American Civil War commenced at Fort Sumter on Charleston Bay in south Carolina. In November 1832, before the reception of this revelation, south Carolina had adopted a States’ Rights position intended to nullify federal regulations not in their interests (specifically, high tariffs on foreign imports, which protected northern manufacturing interests). In addition to the economic problems of the upcountry cotton planters, the wealthy rice aristocracy of the lowcountry had become sensitive to the beginnings of northern antislavery movements. Reacting to the protective tariffs and the agitation against slavery, radical south Carolinians saw nullification as the logical defense to the “tyranny” of the majority. On 24 November 1832 a special convention passed an Ordinanace of Nullification that prohibited the collecting of tariff duties in the state after 1 February 1833. Students of the period generally agree that the situation in south Carolina was explosive, and the passage in early March 1833 of a compromise tariff temporarily averted civil war. Although Joseph Smith considered this action on the part of the south Carolina convention a “rebellion,” he later clarified that the commencement of warfare prior to the Second Coming would arise through the slave question. Brigham Young, who noted that section 87 was intentionally left out of the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants, indicated that this revelation was received “when the brethren were reflecting and reasoning with regard to African slavery on this continent, and the slavery of the children of men throughout the world.” [JofD, vol. 8, pg. 58] (Lyndon W. Cook, The Revelations of the Prophet Joseph Smith)]